Minister of State for External Affairs (Vishwamitra)

Minister of State for External Affairs
विदेश राज्य मंत्री (Hindi)
Coat of arms of Vishwamitra
Incumbent Sri Nawab Haridran since 6 June 2024
Ministry of External Affairs
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Lok Sabha Council of Ministers
Reports to	Prime Minister Minister of External Affairs
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	The Rashtradhyaksh on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
Term length	At His Illustrious and Royal Majesty's pleasure
Formation	10 July 2016
First holder	Bhargab Jyoti Medhi

The Minister of State for External Affairs (Hindi: विदेश राज्य मंत्री), commonly shortened as State Minister for External Affairs is the junior minister in the External Affairs Ministry who is also a member of the union council of ministers. The minister of state is responsible to carry out specialised duties as directed to them from time to time by the Prime Minister or the cabinet minister within the ministerial jurisdiction. The first Minister of State for External Affairs was Bhargab Jyoti Medhi who was appointed by prime minister Varuna Sriraya on 2 October 2016, a few months after the creation of the ministry in July 2016. The current minister of state is Ezekiel Ensor who has been in office since 6 June 2024.

The Minister of State for External Affairs often assists their senior ministerial colleague, the Minister of External Affairs and also carries out duties and heads various departments within the ministry. The minister of state for external affairs has occasionally simultaneously served as the minister of state in the Ministry of International Relations.

History and records

The position of the Minister of State for External Affairs was established following the creation of the Ministry of External Affairs on 10 July 2016. Since the first ever occupant of the ministry, Saikat Seal held the rank as a minister of state with independent charge, no minister of state was appointed thereupon. On 2 October 2016, Bhargab Jyoti Medhi was appointed as the first minister of state for external affairs. The current minister of state is Ezekiel Ensor who has been in office since 6 June 2024.

Nineteen individuals have served as the minister of state for external affairs of whom two - Tyler Mullins and Rafe Burfield continued to serve as the minister of state despite their promotion as a cabinet minister. Rafe Burfield also holds the record of being the only ever former minister of state to be appointed as cabinet minister of external affairs and that too immediately after relinquishing the duties as minister of state. Only one former minister of state for external affairs went on to become the prime minister - Farhaz Hazarika, who served as minister of state for external affairs between 31 January and 1 March 2021.

Roles and duties

The Minister of State for External Affairs is responsible for assisting the Minister for External Affairs in the discharge of their functions and duties over the ministry and the various departments, including:

• Department of International Relations
• Department of Diplomatic Relations
• Department of Overseas Territories
• Department of Foreign Trade
• Diplomatic corps

List of ministers

Minister of State for External Affairs (2016–2018)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Bhargab Jyoti Medhi (born 2001)	2 October 2016	30 December 2016	7001890000000000000♠89 days	Secular	Varuna III
			30 December 2016	12 April 2017		Independent	Varuna IV
		Manoj Chetry (born 2005)	12 April 2017	5 July 2017	7001840000000000000♠84 days		Klarissa III
		Tusharjit Deka (born 2006)	5 July 2017	7 September 2017	7001640000000000000♠64 days	Secular	Tanishkaa II
		Sampriti Paul (born 2004)	7 September 2017	25 December 2017	7002195000000000000♠195 days
			25 December 2017	21 March 2018			Varuna V

Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (2018)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Harlong Terang (born 2005)	14 May 2018	12 October 2018	7002151000000000000♠151 days	Congress	Tanishkaa III
							Varuna (Interim II)

Minister of State for External Affairs (2018–2020)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Jemina Hazarika (born 2006) MP for Basistha Rural	7 January 2019	13 March 2019	7001650000000000000♠65 days	Congress	Tanishkaa IV
		Sampriti Paul (born 2004)	17 March 2019	17 August 2019	7002153000000000000♠153 days	Congress	Tanishkaa V
		Pallavi Rai (born 2005)	18 August 2019	2 September 2019	7001150000000000000♠15 days
		Arpan Deka (born 2008)	2 September 2019	29 September 2019	7001270000000000000♠27 days
		Tusharjit Deka (born 2006)	29 September 2019	15 October 2019	7001160000000000000♠16 days
		Jemina Hazarika (born 2006)	15 October 2019	16 November 2019	7001320000000000000♠32 days
		Arpan Deka (born 2008)	16 November 2019	24 November 2019	7000800000000000000♠8 days
		Abhirup Patranabis (born 2012)	26 November 2019	9 December 2019	7001130000000000000♠13 days
		Tusharjit Deka (born 2006)	9 December 2019	3 March 2020	7001850000000000000♠85 days
		Jemina Hazarika (born 2006) MP for Basistha Rural	22 March 2020	29 March 2020	7000700000000000000♠7 days	Congress	Tanishkaa VI
		Tusharjit Deka (born 2006) MP for Devkotanagar II	29 March 2020	30 April 2020	7001320000000000000♠32 days
		Pallavi Rai (born 2005) MP for Beltola National Constituency	13 May 2020	8 June 2020	7001260000000000000♠26 days	Congress	Tanishkaa VII

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (2020)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Princess Tanvi Sridasa (born 2013) MP for Bhaskarnagar	8 June 2020	17 June 2020	7000900000000000000♠9 days	Congress	Anoushkaa II

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Relations (2020–2021)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Rajia Hazarika (born 2008) MP for Basistha Urban	17 June 2020	28 January 2021	7002225000000000000♠225 days	Congress	Anoushkaa II
		Farhaz Hazarika (born 2003) Caretaker Minister	31 January 2021	1 March 2021	7001290000000000000♠29 days	Congress	Snagoveanu I (Caretaker)

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (2021)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Ezri Ambriz (born 2007) MP for Basistha Central	6 March 2021	10 July 2021	7002126000000000000♠126 days	Congress	Snagoveanu II

Minister of State for External Affairs (2021–2024)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Ezri Ambriz (born 2007) MP for Basistha Central	10 July 2021	6 August 2021	7001270000000000000♠27 days	Congress	Snagoveanu II
		Jayden Dagsa Duke of Karad (born 2008) MP for Dadara	6 August 2021	9 September 2021	7001740000000000000♠74 days
			11 September 2021	21 October 2021			Hazarika I
		Tyler Mullins Count of Mullins (born 1998) MP for Bhetapara	22 November 2021	17 February 2022	7001870000000000000♠87 days	Congress	Hazarika II
		Rey Jr. Mancio (born 2007) MP for Boragaon	9 February 2022	17 March 2022	7001360000000000000♠36 days
		Rafe Hargreaves (born 2005) MP for Chandril	12 May 2022	16 July 2022	7001650000000000000♠65 days	Non-affiliated	Hazarika III
		Thomas Jacobs (born 2008) MP for Brikshasthana	16 July 2022	30 July 2022	7001140000000000000♠14 days
		Arsal Abbas Mirza Baron Mirza of Lahore (born 2006) Unelected	31 July 2022	11 November 2022	7002103000000000000♠103 days
		Johannes Mattias Toome (born 2006) MP for Dhirenpara	12 November 2022	18 March 2023	7002126000000000000♠126 days	Congress	Hazarika IV
		Josh Ford Baron Ford (born 2006) MP for Boragaon	18 March 2023	14 May 2023	7001570000000000000♠57 days	Non-affiliated
		Suryadeva Kapei Baron Kapei (born 2008) MP for Maligaon	14 May 2023	12 August 2023	7001900000000000000♠90 days	Congress
		Johannes Mattias Toome (born 2006) MP for Dhirenpara	12 August 2023	9 October 2023	7001580000000000000♠58 days
		Ezekiel Ensor (born 2007) MP for Rajagriha	13 October 2023	29 March 2024	7002168000000000000♠168 days		Hazarika V

Deputy Minister for External Affairs (2024)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Rafe Hargreaves (born 2005)	4 May 2024	12 May 2024	7000800000000000000♠8 days	Congress	Klarissa IV

Minister of International Relations (2024)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Rafe Hargreaves (born 2005) (Deputy Minister until 31 May 2024 Minister of State, I/C from 31 May 2024)	12 May 2024	6 June 2024	7001250000000000000♠25 days	Congress	Klarissa IV

Minister of State for External Affairs (2024–present)

Portrait		Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency	Term of office			Political party	Ministry
			From	To	Period
		Benjamin Levinson (born 2009) (Minister of State, Bilateral Relations until 15 June 2024)	6 June 2024	3 July 2024	7001270000000000000♠27 days	Non-affiliated	Klarissa IV
		Ezekiel Ensor Sri Nawab Haridran (born 2007) (Minister of State, International Development until 15 June 2024)	6 June 2024	Incumbent	7002189000000000000♠189 days	Congress
		Benjamin Levinson (born 2009)	4 August 2024	7 September 2024	7001340000000000000♠34 days	Non-affiliated

Timeline

Term length

Below is the list of ministers of state for external affairs by their time in office:

1. Sampriti Paul – 348 days
2. Ezekiel Ensor – 7002357000000000000♠357 days
3. Rajia Hazarika – 225 days
4. Tusharjit Deka – 197 days
5. Johannes Mattias Toome – 184 days
6. Ezri Ambriz – 153 days
7. Harlong Terang – 151 days
8. Jemina Hazarika – 104 days
9. Arsal Abbas Mirza – 103 days
10. Rafe Hargreaves – 98 days
11. Suryadeva Kapei – 90 days
12. Bhargab Jyoti Medhi – 89 days
13. Tyler Mullins – 87 days
14. Manoj Chetry – 84 days
15. Jayden Dagsa – 74 days
16. Benjamin Levinson – 61 days
17. Josh Ford – 57 days
18. Pallavi Rai – 41 days
19. Rey Jr. Mancio – 36 days
20. Arpan Deka – 35 days
21. Farhaz Hazarika – 29 days
22. Thomas Jacobs – 14 days
23. Abhirup Patranabis – 13 days
24. Tanvi Sridasa – 9 days

See also

• Ministry of External Affairs (Vishwamitra)
• Minister of External Affairs (Vishwamitra)